NEW CASTLE Council stiffens rules for parking

Council is considering purchasing the former Hill, Barth & amp; King building.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- People attending football games, parades and Light Up Night here will have to look out for some stricter parking rules.
City council gave police special permission to enforce temporary no parking and other rules during those upcoming events.
Police have been working on controlling traffic at special events by posting temporary no-parking signs on narrow streets, but they recently learned that was illegal.
Authorization by city council will allow police to legally post no-parking signs and whatever other traffic control is needed.
Police have said that they are concerned about emergency vehicle access to special events, especially high school football games, when cars are parked on both sides of a narrow street.
Specific events
The ordinance passed Thursday pertains only to the Nov. 1 football game at Taggart Stadium, the Nov. 9 Veterans Day parade and the Nov. 21 Light Up Night in the city.
Council members are considering passing similar ordinances for other events such as high school basketball games.
What else
In other business, council gave the solicitor permission to bid up to $275,000 for a building going up for sheriff's sale.
City officials had proposed buying 215-217 E. Washington St., formerly the Hill, Barth & amp; King building, about a year ago from Patricia Moosally and Nick DeRosa, but the deal fell through, said Ted Saad, assistant city solicitor.
The building is now up for sheriff's sale because of mortgage foreclosure, he said.
City officials have said they would raze the building and make a small park on the property. It's all part of the downtown revitalization plan now under way that is working to create small park areas near the Neshannock Creek in an effort to attract more people to downtown businesses.
Councilwoman Christine Sands noted that $275,000 was the appraised value of the building, and the city may buy it for less.
Lawmakers also accepted a $200,000 Communities That Care grant that will help provide activities for pupils in New Castle and Wilmington schools. It will be administered over the next four years through Lawrence County Cares. The money will be used to provide program such as tutoring, peer mediation, drug and alcohol prevention and other programs.
There is no cost to the city to administer the grant.
cioffi@vindy.com